While twenty-two tracks may seem daunting at first glance, most of the songs off of ‘D R E A M S T U C K’ are short and sweet. With the longest coming in at just over three minutes, Mikey Maramag’s alter ego Blackbird Blackbird ensures that his fifth studio album can be played anytime.
Each track offers a unique perspective on the world, but they don’t feel disjointed from each other. Making sure everything flows smoothly, they all have common threads that bind them to their brethren.
It’s rare that an album makes me feel so deeply upon first listen. Sure, some songs may stick out more than others, but ‘D R E A M S T U C K’ is different. From the opening track ‘Awake but so Asleep’ to the closing ‘Downfall Down’, they all evoke their own emotions – admittedly mainly positive – and remind you what it feels like to be alive. The complex, beautiful, of it all.
When listening to ‘Awake but so Asleep’, you feel as though you’re floating away and about to enter a dreamlike trance, perfectly setting us up for what the rest of the album has to offer. The digital drums (predominantly the kick) provide a nice punch, helping to cut through the fuzziness.
A hypnagogic stunner of a song infused with wavy sounds and heavily distorted vocals, it sets ‘D R E A M S T U C K’ in great stead and leaves you eagerly awaiting to hear what comes next.
All the vocals have a distant quality to them, sometimes making it difficult to tell what’s exactly being said (looking at you ‘Awake but so Asleep’), but that doesn’t stop you from thoroughly enjoying them anyway. Some say that art transcends language, and in this case, I would be inclined to agree.
There are three tracks where the instruments do all the talking: ‘Blame Us’, ‘Starlite Design’ and ‘Pearly Gates’. None of these features has any lyrics. Utilising the same instruments in vastly different ways, you begin to understand just how much time and effort have been placed into crafting this beauty of an album. ‘Blame Us’ features a slower start. A lot of the songs just dive in, but this one is careful; it uses all its time carefully, it knows that it’s a good song, so why rush perfection?
Meanwhile, ‘Starlite Design’ is angrier, exploding with growling instruments and compelling guitar riffs, but ‘Pearly Gates’ is lighter, heavenly (if you pardon the pun), with the synths really pulling the song’s weight.
One of the only singles to be released, ‘Two Peas in a Pod’ is a heartfelt love song with lyrics like “you’re right with me / it feels so much better when you’re next to me / you follow me like the wind blows”, it deserves to be played from speakers across the globe.
I was shocked when I found out that it was made in only a day, considering its excellent quality. Having listened to it again and again, it’s not surprising that Maramag chose to release this one to create anticipation for the final release.
‘Driving Down the I-5’ and ‘Time Again’ showcase how upbeat ‘D R E A M S T U C K’ can be. Curing the winter blues, you can’t help but go back to these two – I know I did. ‘Driving Down’ is a touching homage to California (where Maramag is from). You can dance your heart out to this song with reckless abandon.
You know when a tune can be considered a “jam”? Yeah, ‘Time Again’ is definitely one of them. The synths run rampant, and the bass is bouncy as you like. This one’s definitely for fans of Tame Impala and artists like him.
If you’ve ever thought about what a disco in space would sound like, just put on this one and let yourself rock with the aliens!
‘The Darkness of the Day’ is a wibbly wobbly adorable delight. Reminding me of something out of the 80s, I fell immediately in love with this one. Synth-heavy (like pretty much all of the tracks), Blackbird Blackbird’s talent shines through.
You just can’t help but fall head-over-heels for the lyrics: “I think you got something that I might adore / in the darkness of the day, you make me feel ok” make you realise that this world isn’t all doom and gloom, there is still some light, it just depends on where you look for it.
Talking of doom and gloom, ‘Don’t Wait’ takes this to the next level. One of the more exasperated songs off the tracklist, a new layer of Blackbird Blackbird has been unveiled. Offering an introspective look at the musician, it’s nice to hear a change because the whole album runs the risk of feeling repetitive. Thankfully, with this one and a couple of others, it doesn’t.
Never fear, energy is brought right up again with ‘Lost Without U’. I don’t know how many of you have ever had the misfortune/delight (depends on your viewpoint) of watching Love Island, but this song wouldn’t be out of place on that show (or on a holiday to Ibiza, thinking about it).
With a simple message and even simpler lyrics (literally just variations of “lost without u” over and over again), it’s not one of my favourites, but I can certainly understand why it was included. It’s fun, fresh and evokes those feel-good vibes that we’re all chasing, leading us nicely onto what the rest of the album has to offer.
‘Blueshift’ marks the halfway point. A reminder of all that’s been and a glimpse into what’s to come. It’s more grungy than previous with its screechy end and gnarly tones. It’s a solid song, very enjoyable. If you’re looking for something slightly different to help break up the album, then ‘Blueshift’ is for you!
Maramag experiments with genres a lot, and his fifth album is no different. ‘On & On’ is electronica central, which wouldn’t be out of place at an underground rave or a nightclub. Although there are some jazz elements too. You don’t think it would work, but it does.
‘Memories’ is its equally lively counterpart. Sounding like something LCD Soundsystem would release, it’s an indietronica, dance-punk fusion which translates fabulously with the rest of the album.
“Everything’s gonna be fine” is a line from ‘Dandylines’ which truly hammers home the main theme of the album. Everything is gonna be fine, so just relax, life isn’t a race, so stop trying to make it one.
You can let your worries wash away when enjoying this masterclass of an album, a burst of euphoria in this otherwise dark and scary world. If there’s one key message which should be taken away from this listening experience, it’s what this song puts forward.
‘Sunset’ and ‘Clementine’ are two of the chillier tracks on the entire album. Both feeling like an ocean breeze on a hot Summer’s day, they help to unwind you – free your mind of all the worries that you’ve been carrying.
Honestly, I couldn’t think of a more perfect addition to ‘D R E A M S T U C K’. Helping to strike the balance of calm and chaotic, these two tunes deserve far more credit than I think they get.
There’s a lot to unpack as we come to the end. The guitars take front and centre in ‘In a Dream’ and both that and ‘Molten Suns’ are fast-paced whirlwinds getting your heart beating, leaving you eager to discover what will follow.
There are so many layers in ‘Molten Sun’, all deserving of your full attention. The claps, the keys, just everything about it is perfect.
You spend half the song waiting for the beat to drop in ‘Like a Knife’, but it’s so worth it when it finally does.
All of them are joyous, chaotic and well deserving of their places.
Even though it’s not my favourite, the title track ‘Dreamstuck’ is still decent. It’s another Love Island/Club Tropicana banger; the vocals take on a slightly different tone. They’re robotic, which I think dampens why I like the song, but I can completely get behind why some people would like it. Hey, stick it on, and you’ll be able to make up your own mind about it!
‘Formless’ does what it says on the tin. There’s no real structure to it; it’s just kind of following its own path, which I love, and, somehow, it all works. The song inspires a deeper message, too – you should follow your own dreams no matter how wild you think they are. Sure, it’s easier said than done, but it’s all about baby steps, and it’ll be worth it in the end. Moving back to the song, for a penultimate track, it really blew me away. Sometimes, come the penultimate song, you just wish that the last song would play (especially if it’s a long album like this one), but not here.
Full of different sounds and textures, ‘Formless’ is an enrichment of the soul and gets you excited for the grand finale, ‘Downfall Down’.
I can’t say that I was expecting this ending; it’s not the upbeat delights that practically all of the album has channelled. It absolutely doesn’t make it bad, just different. I suppose with “downfall” in the title, you can kinda infer that it’s not going to be the happiest of tracks, but still…
An oddly catchy track, even with its darker beat and melancholic lyrics, “put this knife right in my gut / twist it ‘til my eyes are shut”, it’s Blackbird Blackbird painted in a new light.
All in all, ‘D R E A M S T U C K’ is a testament to what a little time, patience and endless creativity can produce.
Written by Madi Briggs
Niice review! I agree totally. What a fun listening journey. Loved every moment. Felt very fresh~
Thank you